Actor(s): Matt Frewer, Harry Dean Stanton, Tim Curry, Kathy Bates, Caterina Scorsone
Publisher: Lions Gate
Binding: DVD
Brand: Lions Gate
Language(s): English
EAN: 0031398120421
Studio: Lions Gate
Movie Description
Writer-director Nick Willing, who turned The Wizard of Oz on its ear with 2007's Tin Man, takes a similar approach to another childhood classic with Alice, one of the more visually striking and offbeat live-action adaptations of Lewis Carroll's fantasy stories. Willing's Alice (Caterina Scorsone) is a grown woman--and a karate instructor to boot--whose lack of luck in love seems to have finally taken a turn toward the positive with Jack (Philip Winchester). Their idyll is shattered when Jack is abducted, and Alice's search for him leads her to Wonderland--the one visited by Carroll's Alice a century ago, but now overrun by gloom and vice and anachronistic machinery, and lorded over by a Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates) who kidnaps people from the "real" world to harvest their emotions. Willing's Alice looks impressive, with its richly saturated colors and CGI environment that suggests a world with one foot in Carroll's absurd realm and the other in a futuristic dystopia, and he's abetted by a terrific supporting cast, including Matt Frewer (as the White Knight), Harry Dean Stanton (Caterpillar), Tim Curry (Dodo), and Primeval's Andrew Lee Potts as a sort of glam-rock Mad Hatter. But his script can't match the level of imagination in his direction--Scorsone, a likable actress, is left to wander passively to each scenario--which renders the project another exercise in style over substance. The sole extra is a lightweight commentary track by Willing and Scorsone that is more conversational than informative. --Paul Gaita
Abandoned by her father as a child, the independent twenty-one-year-old Alice is accustomed to men being unpredictable, but Jack Chase is something else. Just moments after surprising her with a rare family ring, hes suddenly kidnapped by two thugs and driven into darkness. It is then that Alice is confronted by a sharply dressed stranger who calls himself White Rabbit, and who promises to know more about Jack than she. Where Alice follows him is through the liquid glass of an ornate mirror. Where she lands is Wonderland, an outlandish underground city of twisted towers and parapets, staircases conceived in a Dali dream, and an otherworldly purple horizon. Soon, the words out that Wonderland has its most prized captive. It seems Alice has the ring that controls the looking glass”the key to the power of the Queen of Hearts. It was mad folly for her son Jack to give it to a girl he barely knew. But Jack had his reasons. Discovering them is up to Alice.
Though not as good as Tim Burton's version, this one definately has some good scenes, it's a little long though. Much better than SYFY'S version of Children of the Corn. The acting is good, the storyline is well done, and the special f/x are good. I bought this a few months ago, not knowing what to expect, but simply put I was impressed. My advice would be don't compare it to the cartoon from eons ago, as with any re-make, IMO would be take it on its own merits. The modern day format works pretty well in this film, although I'm not sure how Mr. Caroll would feel about this adaptation. Anyway, give it a look, you maybe surprised.
"Loved it"
Written By: Jackie J
Totally worth buying. Really enjoyed watching it again as some of the scenes were extended! I love this miniseries, thought it was way better than the new Alice in Wonderland movie.
The commentary was really interesting as well, and explained a few things that I found really interesting. Fascinating to learn how some things came about.
If you saw it on tv (or where ever) and loved it like I did, then I would recommend buying this!
"Alice"
Written By: Penny Gale M Ogden
Excellent - a very fun take on the classic! Well done. Love Hatter!
"Andrew-Lee Potts makes the movie"
Written By: Brat
When I originally saw this on Syfy it was as a mini series in two parts. To be honest, the first part was hard to sit through. Caterina Scorsone as Alice was very unconvincing, she is supposed to be a black belt but on many occasions you begin to wonder how that is possible as she bumbles her way through everything. It seems more luck and her friends keeping her alive. Her boyfriend Jack was the kind of guy that made you wonder why she even liked him in the first place. He reminded me of a snake through out the whole movie. It got better when Hatter, played by Andrew-Lee Potts entered the story. During the first half he doesn't have alot of screen time and perhaps that's why the first part is so hard to sit through. When he has more dominate screen time in the second part, that is when it starts to get good. His character is constantly evolving. He starts as a sleazy salesman, to doing things only for the benefit of himself, to genuinely wanting to do things to help Alice and the people of Wonderland. Yet throughout Alice doesn't listen to anything he says and doesn't trust him even though he saves her countless times. Alot of the characters are lacking in depth. I would have to say that the only other characters in the story who are worth watching would be the Knight, played by Matt Frewer and the King of Hearts, played by Colm Meaney. So if you watch, don't be suprised if most of the characters are unrelatable. However it does have a pretty good story line and if you watch it for Hatter, the Knight and the King of Hearts it is a very good movie. Just ignore every other character. :)
"Wonderful"
Written By: Becky
This Blu-ray was extremely entertaining and the quality is great. Although this was originally a two-part miniseries, the disc version compiles the entire series (along with a few deleted scenes) into a nearly three hour film. Also, the bookmark feature, which allows you to choose your favorite scenes for quick access, is a favorite of mine. The only thing I might wish is for more bonus features since the bookmark feature is pretty much the only one. Regardless, I am overall very satisfied with this purchase.
"Modernized remake...not always a bad thing."
"Loved it"
